Page 1 of Stryker's Ruin

CHAPTER 1

Stryker

“What’s up, Major? Got a job for me?” I grab the remote and silence the Irish football I’m watching as I take the call.

“Just Steel now. How many times do I have to tell you assholes?”

I chuckle. Since we all use his rank deliberately, it may take a while to break us of the habit. After years of jumping at his command it feels good to be able to give him a hard time. There’s also something to be said about once a soldier always a soldier.

“Something’s come to us. We have reports of a new very lethal drug hitting the streets and a sex trafficking group expanding in Chicago. Our initial inquiries have led us to believe it’s leading to a gang war between the Italians and the Irish.”

I sit up straighter, already knowing where this is going. “My family?”

“Not that we’ve been able to verify. The grandson of the other local Irish Mob is making moves. Right now, he’s the Warlord, but he wants the Captain position from his grandfather who he sees as old and weak. He plans to take things back to the oldglory days. He’s causing a stir in the city and with the old Italian family.

“Fucker is a wack job. Pretty sure we can tie at least ten kills to him directly. More to his enforcers. He runs an anything goes sex club. When the girls go missing, they’re never found.”

“We got a leak that the old Don, Vince Camassa and Captain Anlon O’Kelley supposedly want peace. They’re going about it the old fashioned way. Marriage between the families. The only reason we think the grandson agreed is he thinks he’ll get a seat at the table.”

I rub my forehead. I asked the question already knowing the answer. “Who leaked it to you?”

“We got an anonymous call from the Rosemont area in Chicago,” Steel replies.

Fuck. My grandfather. It must be bad if he’s concerned. I was never supposed to be brought into the family. If the O’ Kelley’s start a war, all the families, even the ones who’ve gone legit, will be dragged back in.

My family, the McLeans, went legit a few years after my birth. Tired of the wars, the death, the impact on families, they realized they could make just as much money by going legit. They’ve struggled to stay that way.

I wasn’t raised in the family. My mother was kept a secret and my father only visited when he felt it was safe. They finally moved in together when I went into the military and established my own career. I was never supposed to be a part of that life.

Five years ago, my seanathair reached out to me, and I met him for the first time. He invited me to come work with him in the family.

I declined. I had my military career and a position waiting for me with HARDCORE Security when I retired. To my knowledge my father doesn’t know about that meeting. Bringing me into the family was forbidden.

There’s more than the obvious involved with this assignment. If I take it, all hell is going to break loose within my own family.

“What’s the game plan?”

“The O’Kelley’s want to hire you as an independent bodyguard to ensure the safety and innocence of the Camassa woman for a month before the wedding to let the two young people get to know each other. You will be at every meeting between the couple.

“The Camassa Don has his own issues. His son, the capo, has been training his son to take over. Another hot head. Basically, the two young guns set to inherit are both looking for war.

“You’re the outsider while the Don and the Captain try to figure out if the marriage can make peace. You will also report back to me what you observe.”

“What about the woman?”

“We found very little. She’s the illegitimate child of the Don’s son who is the presiding Capo. The only granddaughter of the Camassa family. She’s been isolated her whole life. Most of the family doesn’t even know she exists because her father was already married when she was conceived.” Steel hesitates. “I have a feeling she’s expendable.

“Shit. It’s like there’s a puppeteer pulling the strings,” he snaps. “If you say no, we walk away. I don’t have a lot of feel-goods here. In fact, I’d prefer you say no.”

“I’ll reach out to some people I know.” If Steel suspects I’m talking about my grandfather, he doesn’t say anything. “Any photos?”

“One of the girl. Several of O’Kelley and his right-hand men. We also have the Camassa Don, his sons and the woman’s half-brother who is the one in training to take over his father’s position in the family as Capo. We don’t believe he knows there is a half-sister. Both families are fucked up.”

“How soon do you need an answer?” I ask.

“Two days. We’ll create an alternate background for you. If you decide to take the assignment, your job is to get a lay of the land and try to find out what the behind-the-scenes plans are, if this is really a strike at the old guard. I’ll have back-up close by. This could go south quickly.”

“What’s her name?”